Rake - how does this affect handling?

[Arnie]

There's been a bit of talk lately about rake, especially with people trying to "even out" their fender gaps for aesthetic purposes. But how does changing the rake of the car affect handling?

Its certainly not an easy answer as I can imagine quite a few things being thrown into the equation, i.e. available bump travel, roll center, F/R roll axis, etc. etc.

[Wojtek]

Hi Arnie,
Depending on the suspension system/design, but on most modern cars with independant suspensions, changes to ride height effect the roll centre and therefore the roll axis. Changing the roll axis angle and height effects weight distribution and therefore handling balance (overstreet / understeer).
That's a simple explanation, where details would need to be looked at individually for each car and circumstances.

Regards,
Wojtek.